Multiple fuse-plug



V. G. JENSEN.

MULTIPLE FUSE PLUG. "APPLICATION men MAR. 8, 1917.

1 ,359, 174, Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR G. JENSEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MULTIPLE FUSE-PLUG.

Application filed March 8,

To all 10/1072). it may concern.

Be it known that l, \YICTOR G. JENSEN, a citizen of the Fnited States, anda resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of (ook and State of Illinois. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple Fuse-Plugs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the numerals of reference marked thereon. which form a part of this specification.

Fuse plugs of various types have been in use for some time, but due to their construction and for the reason that their capacity has been limited to one fuse, it is necessary each time a fuse has blown to replace the entire fuse plug before a power or a lighting circuit in which the fuse plug is connected can again be used. The blowing of fuse plugs of the above type very often results in considerable inconvenience and delays in reestablishing circuits, when no additional fuse plugs are on hand to replace the one that has blown.

This invention relates to an improved form of fuse plug containing a plurality of fuses, any one of which may be readily connected in a circuit by simply rotating the head of the fuse plug through a small angle. depending on the number of fuses in the plug,'to the next fuse position. thus immediately reestablishing the circuit in which the fuse has blown without any inconvenience or delay whatsoever.

It is an object of this invention to construct a multiple fuse plug, having a movable head adapted to be moved fromconnection with a blown fuse to connect with another fuse by a slightrotary movement of the head to the next fuse position.

It is also an'object of this invention to construct a multiple fuse plug having a stationary part containing a plurality of fuses and a movable contact part thereon adapted by a slight rotation to connect an unburned fuse in a circuit to replace a blown fuse.

It is an important object of this invention to construct a fuse plug comprising a stationary member containing a number of fuse wires, and a spring controlled head contact member mounted thereon and adapted to be rotated for immediately replacing a blown fuse wire without removal of the Specification of Letters Patent.

1917. Serial N0. 153,253.

fuse plug from a fuse box in which it is mounted.

It is afurther object of this invention to provide a fuse plug containing a plurality of fuses therein, and having a spring controlled rotatable member thereon adapted to be rotated to connect any one of said fuses in a circuit.

construct a multiple fuse plug in which any-* one of the fuses may be readily connected into a circuit without loss of time or necessitating replacement of the fuse plug.

Other and further objects of the intention will be apparent from the disclosures in the drawings and specification. 4

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a multiple fuse. plug embodying the principles of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1, with parts in elevation showing the device mounted in a fuse board and having the head of the device in extended position for rotation.

Fig. 4 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 3, showing the device mounted upon a fuse board and having its head in normal contactlng position.

Fig. 5 is an end view of the head of the device.

Fig. 6 is an end View of the stationary portion of the device.

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 7-7 of Fig. 4, with parts omitted.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 88 of Fig. 4:, with parts omitted.

As shown on the drawings:

The reference numeral 1, indicates i fuse board having rigidly secured thereon a socket 2, with a contact or terminal 3, lo-

cated centrally therein. The multiple fuse plug embodying my invention is adapted to be detachably threaded into the socket 2, and comprises a cylindrical body, plug portion or base 4, made of porcelain or other suitable insulating material, the upper outer surface of which is threaded. Drilled or formed within the base at, is a central longitudinally disposed passage 5, the middle portion slightly enlarged as designated by the reference numeral 6, while the upper end of the passage is still further enlarged to form a circular recess or chamber 7. A plurality of longitudinal chambers or passages 5, equidistantly spaced from one another are disposed in circular relation in the base 4:, around the central passage 5, and have the upper ends thereof opening through the top ofsaid base, while the lower ends of said chambers 8, open through radial spokes or ribs 9, integrally formed on the lower end of the base, as shown in Fig. 6, and separated from one another by triangular notches 10, formed in said base to afford said ribs. Drilled laterally in the sides of the base 1,. about midway between the top and bottom thereof are a plurality of radial openings or outlets 11, equidistantly spaced from one another and having their inner ends communicating with the chambers 8, one of said openings being provided for each of said chambers. Circumferentially secured around the base 1. to cover the outer open ends of said openings 11, is a band or strip of tissue paper or other suitable thin material 12, for a purpose hereinafter described. Threaded through each of the chambers 8, is a fuse strip or fuse wire 13, bent over at each end to lie flat against the top and bottom of the base 4, to afford suitable contacts. For the sake of convenience the fuse wires may be threaded upwardly through one of the chambers 8, and downwardly in an adjacent chamber, with the ends of the fuse wire bent over to lie flat against the bottom of the base 4, to serve as contacts, as clearly shown in Figs. (3 andS, or the fuses may be mounted in the chambers 8, in any other suitable manner.

A flat metallic conductor ring H. is

mounted upon the top of the base i, to

contact the upper ends of the fuses 13, and has integrally formed thereon a tongue 15, bent downwardly to fit within a suitable recess or notch in the base 1. A porcelain insulating tip or end piece 16, having w an axial passage 17, therethrough, and an integral circular rib or flange 18, formed on the lower surface thereof, is mounted or seated upon the conductor ring 14, with the circular flange 18, projecting through said ring and fitting into the chamber 7, thus alining the pa sages 6 and 17. to receive a spiral spring 19, therein. To hold the contact ring 14, and the end piece 16 in a po sition upon the base 41, a threaded metal cap or retaining member 20, provided with an inwardly directed circular flange at its upper end, is removably threaded onto the outwardly threaded upper end of the base 4, with the circular flange engaging in a suitable peripheral groove formed in said head, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 1, and permitting the upper end of the end piece 16, which is conical in shape to project out wardly through the cap 20.

Projecting through the passages 5, 6, 7 and 17, of the base 4 and the end piece '16, and through the spiral spring 19, is a bolt 21, having a contact head 22, integrally formed on its upper end, while the lower end thereof is threaded and projects through a head 23, made of porcelain or other suitable insulating material, and which is provided with a recess or notch in the center of the bottom thereof to permit a nut 21, to seat therein and be threaded upon the lower end of the bolt 21, to rotatably hold the head associated with the base 4.

Said head 23, is formed with a large circular opening 25, in which are mounted or integrally formed on the inner wall of the head 23, two radially directed triangular buttresses or projections 26, spaced a. short distance apart, and of a size adapted to readily fit into the triangular notches 10. Mounted centrally in a suitable radial recess formed in the upper portion of the bottom of the head 23, is a resilient hooked metal contact maker 27, provided with a suitable aperture to permit the bolt 21, to project therethrough. The contact maker is held within said radial recess by a suitable washer 28, disposed on said bolt between the bottom of the base 1, and the inner apertured end of the contact maker 27. Integrally formed on the periphery of the head 23, are a plurality of index ribs or guide nubs 29, equidistantly spaced from one another and equal in number to the number of fuses 13, mounted within the base 4:. One of said ribs 29, is adapted to register radially with one of said fuses. On the bottom of the head 23, arrows numbered 1 to 6, respectively, are formed or painted, with the numerals increasing in a clockwise direction, each numeral indicating one of the fuses.

The operation is as follows:

In assembling the fuse plug, the con ductor ring 14, is first placed upon the upper end of the base 4:, with the tongue 15, seated in the recess in the side of said base, the ring thus being in contact with the upper ends of all of the fuses 13. The insulating tip or end piece 16. is then placed upon the ring 14, with the flange 1S projecting through the ring 14. and into the chamber 7. The metal cap 20, is slipped over the end blowing of that particular fuse. To again piece 16, and is threaded upon the base 4,. contacting the tongue 15, and holding the end piece and conductor ring rigidly in position.

The spiral spring 19, is inserted in the passages 6 and 17, with the lower end thereof seated against the led e formed between the passage 6, and the re uced passage 5. The assembly bolt 21, is now inserted through the spring 19, and throughthe communicating passages 5, 6, 7 and 17, with the lower end of the contact head 22, seated upon the upper end of the spring 19, and with the lower end of the bolt'21, projecting through the washer 28, the resilient hooked contact maker 27, and through the bottom of the head 23. The nut 24, is then threaded upon the end of the bolt to hold the head 23, movably associated with the base 4, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The head member 23, is first pulled. away from the base 4, against the force of the spring 19, which presses upwardly against the contact head 22, now disposed within the passage 17, as shown in Fig. 3. The head 7 23, is then rotated to a position in which the buttresses 26, register with two of the notches 10. The head is then released, the action of the compressed spring 19, drawing the same toward the base, 4, with the buttresses 26, fitting into the two registering notches 10, and with the hooked contact maker 27, contacting the lower bent over portio of the respective fuse 13, and with one of the spokes 9, fitting between the buttresses 26, to prevent rotation of the head 23. In this the normal position of the parts of the Cplu the contact head 22, projects outwar ly beyond the end of the conical head 16.

With the multiple fuse plug thus assembled, if it is desired to use the same, the plug is threaded into the fuse board socket with the contact head 22, contacting the terminal 3, as shown in Fig. 4, in which position the fuse numbered 1, is connected in the lighting or power circuit, as the case may be. The electric current is conducted from the metal shell of the socket 2, through the metal cap, tongue 15, and the conductor ring 14, t0 the upper end of the fuse connected in circuit, and then through said fuse t the hooked contact maker 27, up through the bolt 21, and its contact head 22, and out through theterminal 3. If an overload or short circuit should occur on the line, the fuse numbered. 1, would blow finding an outlet through the radial blow-hole or opening 11, thus burning or blowing a hole in the tissue blow strip 12, and evidencing the establish the circuit broken by the blowing of fuse 1, the head 23, is pulled outwardly gainst the action of the spring 19, into the'position shown in Fig. 3, disengaging the buttresses from the notches 10, and simultaneouslybreaking the contact between the terminals 3 and 22. The head 23, is then rotated in a counter clock-wise direction to the position of the next fuse numbered 2, the index ribs 29, affording a suitable means for gripping the lower end of the head 23, to turn the same. The head 23, having been movedto the next fuse position with the buttresses 26, registering with the corresponding notches 10, the same is released and is automatically drawn toward the base 4, b the action of the compressed spring 19, t us restablishing the circuit with practically n delay and without removing the fuse plug from the fuse. board or disassembling of the plug. This operation may be successively repeated each time a fuse blows until all of the fuses in the plug have been blown. A new fuse plug may then be threaded into the socket 2, after the removal of the used plug.

From the description of the fuse plug it will be seen that the same may be readily taken apart and new fuses inserted, and a new tissue strip placed over the openings 11, thu permitting re-use of the fuse plug.

It will, of course, be understood that the fuse plug may be arranged to carry any number of fuses, and that various other de tails of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the irinciples of this invention, and I therefore not purpose limiting the patent granted therwise than necessitated by the scope of-the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A multiple fuse plug of the class described comprising a stationary means, a plurality of fuses therein, a conductor ring connecting said fuses, an insulating end piece on said ring, a member for holding said ring and end piece in position on said stationary means, a contact making means slidably and rotatably mounted on said stationary means, radial members integrally formed on said stationary means, spring controlled means for holding said contact making means associated with said stationary means to permit rotation of said contact making means for connecting said fuses in a circuit in successive order, and projections integrally formed on said spring controlledmea-ns adapted to abut said radial members to hold said spring controlled means against rotation in an adjusted position.

2. In a device of the class described, a base, a plurality of fuses mounted therein, said base having radial openings therein, a blow-strip covering said openings, a rotatable contact making head slidablymounted on said base, a contact spring in the head, registering means on said base and head, a bolt projecting through said base and head,

a spring which constrains the bolt to normally hold the head associated with said base to contact one of said fuses, and with said means registering with one another to prevent rotation of said head, said head adaptedito be moved away from said base against the stress of said spring into a position to be rotated to connect said fuses in a circuit in any order.

3. In a device of the class described, a centrally passaged base having fuse chambers therein, a fuse in each of said chambers, a contact ring on said base contacting,

the upper. ends of said fuses, a centrally pas saged head mounted on said contact ring and projecting therethrough into said base, a metal cap threaded onto said base to hold said head and contact ring in position, said base having radial outlets therein, one for each of said fuse chambers, a tissue blow strip disposed around said base to cover the outer ends of said outlets, a spiral spring within the passage in said base and head, a rotatable head movably mounted on said base, a hooked contact maker therein, registering means on said base, and in said rotatable head, a contact bolt projecting through said pass'aged head, spring, base and rotatable head to hold the rotatable head associated with said base, said spring acting to normally hold the rotatable head and base in a position with said registering means engaged with each other to prevent rotation on said rotatable head and with said hooked contact maker in contact with the lower end of one of said fuses, and indicating means 011 said rotatable head, said rotatable head adapted to be manually moved away from said base against the pressure of said spring into aposition in which said registering means are disengaged to permit rotation of said rotatable head tothe next fuse position denoted by said indicating means when the fuse in a circuit has blown.

4. In a device of the-class described, a plug, fuses therein, movable means slidably and rotatably mounted on one end of said plug to intertit therewith for contacting one of said fuses to connect the same in circuit, said means adapted to be manually actuated to break said contact when said fuse has blown, and be moved into the next fuse position, a blow strip engaged around said plug adapted to indicate which of the fuses have blown, and mechanism within said plug adapted to automatically return said movable means to normal position to connect the next fuse in circuit.

A multiple fuse plug of the class described comprising a stationary means, a plurality of fuses therein, a conductor ring connecting said fuses, an insulating end piece on said ring, a member for holding said ring and end piece in position on said stationary means, a contact-making means slidably and rotatably mounted on said stationary means, radial members integrally formed on said stationary means, springcontrolled means for holding said contactmaking means associated with said stationary means to permit rotation of said contactmaking means for connecting said fuses in a circuit selectively, and projections integrally formed on said spring-controlled means adapted to abut said radial members to hold said spring-controlled means against rotation in an adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

VICTOR Gr. JENSEN.

Vitnesses CHARLES W. HILLS, Jr., EARL M. HARDINE. 

